Popular pub protected after being put up for sale
The building was recently given Asset Community Value status
A popular pub near Trowbridge has been saved for the community after being put up for sale.
The Longs Arms at Steeple Ashton is housed in a former 16th-century courthouse.
The inn is owned by Dorset gastropub operator Coach House Inns, but the freehold was recently offered for sale by commercial property agent Christie & Co with a guide price of £750,000.
Besides its food offering, the pub is well used by the local community, hosting parish council events and a monthly quiz night, and hosts functions including birthday parties, wedding celebrations, and wakes.
In March, Steeple Ashton Parish Council applied to have the pub listed as an Asset of Community Value.
“Any loss of the pub and the services it provides would have a detrimental impact on the community of Steeple Ashton,” said the council.
Wiltshire Council agreed to list the pub on April 28, and the listing will stay in force until 2031.
The listing means that should the owner decide to sell the pub, or change its use, the community must be given a chance to express an interest in buying it.
The pub is one of several in West Wiltshire to bear the Longs names, after the Long family who owned great swathes of land in the area until the mid 20th Century.